I bought an expensive garbage can with a latch lid and she broke it.
I tried putting the garbage can up high but my family says that's a no.
Why is she doing this even though she knows she will get yelled at and that it's "bad"?
Answer
Karen:
Put the garbage where the dog can't get to it. Maybe all you need is a better container, or to put the garbage in a cupboard with a lock on it.
Maybe you need to simply not leave the dog alone with garbage available. That is one thing crates are useful for.
Maybe you need to stop putting such tasty stuff in the garbage. I freeze any tasty garbage until garbage day when it goes outside straight from the freezer.
Coming home and finding garbage around and then scolding the dog accomplishes nothing.
Do that often enough and the dog will begin to think that the way the world works is that you come home and scold it if there is garbage on the floor, then everything is okay. It does not associate the scolding with the act of getting into the garbage.
It associates scolding with the mere presence of garbage.
Kayla:
Do you REALLY know she knows it's wrong? Dogs are simple creatures. Whatever you punish her for at the time is what she thinks is bad.
Even if you bring her to the mess and scold her, she will not fully get it unless you catch her in the act, or about to do it. If you bring her to the trashed garbage and yell at her, you teach her the MESS is bad.
What she doesn't realize, is its not the MESS that is bad it is THE ACT of making the mess. Dogs are beautifully simple, and in a dogs mind, those are two different things.
So, the dog does THE ACT, and then sees the MESS and becomes afraid because of the MESS not THE ACT. dogs are eager to please creatures, you must take the time to show her what you want. Set it up so that you can catch her in the act.
Than when she starts to get into the garbage, surprise her with a stern, "No!" Don't yell and scream. If you actually catch her and correct at the time she's doing it, she'll start to realize she's not allowed and stop eventually. Be patient.
Rosie:
We adopted an older dog in October and he was getting in the garbage. Something our other 3 dogs have never done.
You can put the garbage somewhere the dog can't get to it.
Because our new dog also counter surfs, we got scat mats. It keeps the dogs out of the kitchen, away from counters and the garbage. They work great!
Getting in the garbage is tricky because the dog gets an instant 'reward' and often times you're not around to stop it from happening.
Catfood:
Tether the dog to you or crate it when you can't watch the dog like a hawk. Garbage diving is a self-rewarding behavior.
You also need to read Culture Clash, because you are misinterpreting the dog's signals. The dog isn't knowing they did wrong, just that your tone indicates anger. They don't associate if the events are separated by time.
Bluebonnet:
Sprinkle black pepper on the garbage &/or sprinkle chili powder on the trash. She is probably sneaky about it so you can't catch her in the act.
If you could catch her in the act, you could use a spray bottle adjusted to spray far away & do a long distance correction.
The pepper & the chili have short lasting effects but it is the association with the effects & getting into the trash that will eventually stop her.
She will not like either one at all & will start to be leery of the trash can.
Nobby:
Dogs will continue to do something even if they know it makes you cross. So training is pretty much a waste of time.
All I do is bait the bin with a nice warm samosa. He'll learn that the delicious smelling stuff is not always nice to eat.
He must not realise you put it there deliberately, so act like you dont know anything about it.
Elaine:
Put the garbage where she can't get to it, cover it with something she can't get into, or put it outside twice a day to get it out of the house.
Anonymous:
A dog will take any attention it can get even if that is a fool that
yells at it. I suspect she has been hit a few times as well.
If you
are incapable of training her APPROPRIATELY then take her to a local
Humane surrender her fo the chance at a loving home instead of having to
cower in the one she has.
Wael:
Train him
If he jumps in the garbage start yelling at him and calling him/her a bad boy/girl
Than he'll get used to it
If he jumps in the garbage start yelling at him and calling him/her a bad boy/girl
Than he'll get used to it
